Shuttle-feeler for looms.



I. SNOW.

SHUTTLE FEELER FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25. 1916.

1,230,439. Patented June 19, 1917.

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UNITE STATES PATENT UFFICE.

ISAAC snow, or LAWRENCE, MAssAcHUsE'rTs, Assicnon; BY vrnsnn ssrGn EnTs, TO DRAPEB CORPORATION, or HOPEDALE, MA'ss'AoHUsnrrs, A con'ronArronor MAINE.

SI-IUTTLE-FEELER FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11 19 1917,

Application filed April 25, 1916. Serial N 0. 93,538.

tion than those heretofore constructed and which will avoid wearing or otherwise (lamaging the shuttle or the shuttle engaging portion of the feeler.

In the operation ofv the shuttle feelers as heretofore constructed the end of the feeler is advanced to feeling position upon call for transfer and if the shuttle is improperly positioned therein engages the side or end portion of the shuttle so that as the lay beats forward the shuttle feeler is actuated to withdraw the latch on the transfer arm from operative relation to the hunter upon the lay, thus preventing transfer and the consequent smashes which otherwise would result from the actuation of the transfer mech anism with an improperly positioned shuttle.

When the end of the feeler or the shuttle becomes worn the feeler sometimes'is not sufiiciently actuated by an improperly positioned shuttle to throw the dog out of the path of the hunter on the lay so that as the latter moves forward the transfer arm is actuated and a smash occurs.

The present invention is designed to avoid damage to the shuttle and to the feeler, thus prolonging the life of these instrumentalities and also insuring the effectiveness of the operation of the feeler. A

The objections above mentioned are obviated in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated herein by providing a shuttle feeler with a relatively movable shuttle engaging instrumentality adapted upon contactwith an improperly'positioned shuttle to position the latch in the path of the lay so that as the lay beats forward the shuttle feeler will be thrust forward by the direct action of the lay upon the latch, the only pressure placed upon the shuttle eng ging instr mentality f the feeler be ng that which is required to position the latch in the path of the lay. This constructionentirely obviates the wear upon the shuttle and the shuttle engaging end of the feeler heretofore caused, wherein all of the. power requiredto actuate theshuttle feeler is transmitted through the portion of the shuttle which engages the end of the feeler.

By this construction the more effective operation of the shuttle feeler is obtained, since theshuttle engaging-end of the feeler yields readily and does not have a tendency to thrust the shuttleback into its box in such amanner as to improperly position it in relation to the transferring mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the followingdescription, the accompanying drawings, and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a sufiicient portion of a loom to illustrate my invention embodied therein,

Fig. 2 is a detail view ofthe end of the shuttle feeler with my. invention applied thereto,

3 is a similar detail view illustrating a shuttle feeler embodying my invention en-- gaging the shuttle and positioning the latch in the path of the lay. p I

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the end, of the shuttle feeler embodying the constructions illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and

Fig. 5 is detail view of afeeler equipped with a different mechanism embodying my invention.

The structure illustrated in ,the accompanying drawings comprises the usual frame 1, the breast beam 2, a hopper 8 having the usual pivotally mounted transferring arm 4;, the lower end of said arm being connected to a dog 5 adapted to cooperate with the hunter 6 upon the lay 7 which is supported upon the sword 8. The mechanism for controlling the action of the transfer arm may be and is of the character usual in automatic filling replenishing looms of the Northrop type the actuation of the transfer arm being controlled through the controller rod 9 journaled in the bracket 10 .carried by the frame or breast beam. The controller rod 9 is provided with an arm 11 which engages a stud 12 upon an extension 13 of a shuttle feeler 1 4 which is pivoted upon a stud 115 carried by. a bra ket 17 p bi' g tr h iii frame. A spring 16 upon said stud normally tends to rock the shuttle feeler 1 1 so as to advance its end to feeling position but such action is normally restrained by the arm 11 which bears upon the stud 12 and is under the influence of the spring 11.

As shown herein the shuttle feeler is of the usual U-shaped construction and pro vided with a member 18 which is mounted upon the stud 19 and having a slot 20 engaging a stud 21 upon the dog 5.

When in the operation of the loom transfer is called for the controller shaft 9 is rocked in a clockwise direction, thus raising the arm ll from the stud 12 and permitting the spring ll) to advance the feeler arm 14; into feeling position. As the feeler arm moves to shuttle engaging position the dog 5 is raised into the path of the bender 6 upon the lay. As the lay moves forward the end of the feeler arm crosses the path of the shuttle and if the shuttle 26 is improperly positioned therein engages the end or the side of the shuttle so that the further move ment of the lay rocks the shuttle feeler upon its pivot 15, into the position illustrated in Fig. 1, thus depressing the dog out of the path of the bender and preventing transfer. The construction and operation of the shuttle feeler thus far described is that of the usual shuttle feeler of the Northrop type of loom.

The essential feature of the present invention consists in providing the shuttle feeler with a shuttle. engaging instrumentality adapted to position a latch in the path of the lay so that the shuttle feeler will be actuated through the engagement of the lay with the latch instead of being actuated through the shuttle and its engagement with the end of the feeler, thus providing a more sensitive and efficient construction and avoiding the wear upon the parts above described.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the shuttle engaging instrumentality comprises a plate 27 pivotally mounted upon a stud 28 at the lower edge of the end of the shuttle feeler arm 14 said plate 27 being provided with a lateral extension 29 which covers the end of the feeler let and presents a relatively broad surface for engagement with the shuttle. This lateral extension also serves to engage the end of the feeler arm 14: when the lay in engaging the latch 30 forces the feeler forward, thus providing a very rigid construction. The plate 27 is provided at its opposite end with a downward extension or latch 80 providing a shoulder 31 adapted to engage the lay 7 or a suitable wear plate there- The shuttle engaging end of the plate 27 may be maintained in extended or shuttle engaging position by any suitable resilient mechanism which will serve also to raise the latch 30 out of the path of the lay. A convenient mechanism for effecting this result is illustrated herein and comprises a counterweightcd member 32 pivotally mounted upon a stud 33 upon the feeler 14: and having an extension or tail provided with an offset end 35 entering a slot 36 in the plate 27. In order to limit the movement of the shuttle engaging plate 27 and its latch 30 the offset end 35 of the tail 314' may be extended suliiciently to enter a slot or preferably a circular aperture 3'? in the feeler 14- so that the abutment of the tail with the walls of the aperture will restrict the extent of move ment of the plate 27 about the pivot 28.

In the operation of the device the feeler with its pivoted shuttle engaging end is thrust into the shuttle box and if the shuttle is properly positioned within the box the end 29 is maintained in extended position illustrated in Fig. 2 by the action of the counterweight 32 and the latch so is retaiued out of the path of the lay. i i hen however. the shuttle is improperly posi tioned in the shuttle box the shuttle engag ing end 29 of the plate 27 will be rocked about the pivot 28 causing the latch to be positioned in the path of the lay so that as the lay moves forward it will force the shut tle fecler forward through the engagement of the latch and the lay instead of forcing the same forward by reason of the engagc ment of the end of the latch with the shuttle.

It will be obvious that very little power is required to move the shuttle engaging end of the feeler so that accuracy in operation of the mechanism is insured. Any tendency of the feeler to thrust an improperly positioned shuttle back into the box will be avoided.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modified form of shuttle engaging instrumentality which consists of a plate 38 having a lateral extension or shuttle engaging end 39 overlying the cnd of the feeler. said plate 38 being provided with two or more parallel slots 4C0 which are oblique to the longitudinal axis of the plate 38. The plate 88 is mounted through the slots it) upon studs l1, l2- and is maintained normally in extended position by a spring 43 coiled about the stud 42 and anchored at one end at to the plate 88 and at its opposite end having an extension engaging an inclined part 4C6 of the breast beam of the loom.

The plate 38 is provided with a downward extension or latch 47 presenting a shoulder 4.8 adapted to engage a lay in the same manner as the latch 30 heretofore described.

It will he understood that the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are illustrative merely and are not restrictive and that the invention may be incorporated in other forms within the meaning and scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and Patent is:

1. A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm movable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment, a relatively movable member carried thereby and extending beyond and across the end of said arm having means adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay upon engagement of an improperly positioned shuttle whereby the feeler will be actuated by the further movement of the lay through said means to prevent operation of the transferring mechanism.

2. A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm movable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment, and an integral instrumentality yieldably mounted upon said arm and extending beyond the end of said arm having an integral exten sion adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay upon engagement of said instrumentality with an improperly positioned shuttle, whereby the feeler will be actuated by the movement of the lay to prevent operation of the transferring mechanism.

A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm m0vable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment and a shuttle engaging plate pivotally mounted upon and extending beyond the end of said arm, having an integral downward extension adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay upon engagement of said plate with an improperly positioned shuttle, whereby the feeler will be actuated by the movement of the lay to prevent operation of the transferring mechanism.

l. A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm movable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment, and a shuttle engaging plate yieldably mounted upon said arm having a flange overlying the end of said arm, said plate being provided with a downward extension adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay upon engagement of said plate with an improperly positioned shuttle whereby the feeler will be actuated through the engagement of the latch desire to secure by Letters Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the with the lay and the flange with the end of the feeler.

5. A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm movable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment, a shuttle engaging plate pivotally mounted at the end of said arm having a downward extension or flange adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay, and yieldable means for rocking said plate upon its pivot to cause its end to extend beyond the end of the feeler arm and the latch normally to be removed from the path of the lay, whereby engagement of said plate with an improperly positioned shuttle will position the latch in the path of the lay.

6. A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm movable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment, a shuttle engaging plate pivotally mounted at the end of said arm having a downward extension or flange adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay, means including a counterweight for rocking said plate upon its pivot to cause its end to extend beyond the end of the feeler arm and the latch normally to be removed from the path of the lay whereby engagement of said plate with an improperly positioned shuttle will position the latch in the path of the lay.

7. A shuttle feeler for automatic filling replenishing looms comprising an arm movable toward the lay to feeling position upon call for filling replenishment, a shuttle engaging plate pivotally mounted at the end of said arm having a downward extension or flange adapted to be positioned in the path of the lay, a counterweight pivoted upon said feeler arm and having an exten-.

sion engaging a slot in said plate for rocking said plate upon its pivot to cause its end to extend beyond the end of the feeler arm and the latch normally to be removed from the path of the lay whereby engagement of said plate with an improperly positioned shuttle will position the latch in the path of the la 7 in testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ISAAC SNOWV.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

